Office of the President

As many of you know, nearly three years ago Coach Daugherty joined us in Pullman to help turn our women’s basketball program around.  She has done nothing short of a remarkable job, and tonight’s game was yet another illustration.  Though we did not end the streak tonight with the Huskies – and I don’t dare give the number any more print – I could not be more proud of the team for their performance and forcing the more veteran Huskies into overtime.  Anyone watching tonight’s game could see what a great young team we have to look forward to for many years to come.  My only regret is that I could not be in Pullman for it, having been on the west side for our Board of Regents meeting in Vancouver and now in Seattle for tomorrow’s men’s basketball game.  However, it is clear by what the FSN telecast showed of the ZZU CRU that the team had plenty of support from our students already – another snapshot of the great progress the program is making.  Now let’s get the Huskies tomorrow!  GO COUGS!!

Should the governing boards of Washington colleges and universities have more authority to set tuition for their institutions? In the early days of this legislative session, that seems to have become the highest-profile higher education issue in Olympia and statewide.

I fully understand the level of interest. Rising tuition, and its impact on access to a college education, is a vital concern to our students and a major issue impacting the economic future of our state.

However, I have more trouble understanding the point of view that preserving the status quo, and continuing to give governing boards little control over tuition, is a realistic solution to this crisis.

I was in Olympia last week and testified in support of Senate Bill 6562, which would grant greater tuition-setting authority to governing boards. It sets limits on how much tuition can be raised, ties tuition increases to specific education goals, and requires a percentage of the resulting revenue to go toward financial aid.

This bill is one of several on this subject that are pending before the Legislature. It is the one I support because I believe it provides necessary flexibility while still imposing reasonable guidelines. Read the rest of this entry »

On Friday I headed back to Pullman after having spent most of Monday in activities for MLK Day and giving testimony to legislators on Wednesday.  It was a virtually impossible week from my perspective.  There are four bills focused on tuition and the authority to set or control tuition.  There is only one bill, in my judgment, which makes any sense — that is Senate Bill 6562.  That bill allows the individual institution to set tuition within certain boundaries and provide for financial aid.

As a son of working class parents, I know how vital it is for students to have a college education at a price that is affordable.  This bill allows us to do what we do well — to consult with students, faculty and staff regarding the setting of tuition.  We would do that in the same way in which we engage with the Students and Activities Fee Committee, as well as the Housing and Dining Board.  It is the only thing that makes sense right now — the current system is broken.  Last year was painful for me to recommend setting tuition at 14 percent higher.  On the other hand, had I failed to do so, I would have imposed yet another cut on the institution in which we had suffered very severe cuts already.

Nonetheless, this is a very active conversation and we need to have it.  I encourage you to check out the hyperlink below which connects you to the testimony I presented on Wednesday afternoon.  I urge you to do so, and I look forward to continuing this conversation.


President Floyd on tuition in Olympia

What another exciting afternoon in Beasley Coliseum!  What a game!  Coach Bone and this team continue to keep things exciting for us, and I believe I speak for all Cougs when I say I’m glad we avoided another overtime there at the end (as we have learned recently, anything can happen in those, whether we can control it or not.)  Beasley Coliseum is simply a great venue for a college basketball game, and it is because of our fans.  There is something unique and special about the ZZU Cru that make games in Pullman different from any other in the Pac-10.  We thank our students for keeping the arena loud and energized with their passion.  This should be an interesting few months to come in a very competitive conference.  What an exciting team this is to represent us.  GO COUGS!

Our hearts, prayers and sincere sympathy are extended to the Hightower family.  As many of you know by now, Molly Hightower was found in Haiti early this morning.  Unfortunately, she did not survive the collapse of the building where she was quietly sleeping.  As fate would have it, her sister, Jordan, was in my higher education class last semester.  I have come to know Jordan quite well, and the passing of Molly has special meaning to me.  It is just another illustration of the humanitarian efforts of the Hightower family – Molly was continuing a tradition of service started by her parents, her uncle, and others.  Last night, some 50 students and community members gathered at Sacred Heart Church on College Hill to hold a candlelight vigil for Molly.  It is important to realize Molly attended the University of Portland – not WSU – and yet her loss is felt so painfully in our community.  Molly’s impact, and the lessons she chronicled on her blog while helping the less fortunate in Haiti, were truly realized on a national scale.  We have but to thank Molly for the inspiration from her truly selfless contributions, though it comes from the most tragic of circumstances.

I encourage those interested in helping those in Haiti to make a contribution to the Cougar Haitian Relief Fund.  Some of our students have been collecting donations and planning fundraising efforts inside the CUB to contribute to fund.  This morning alone, they raised $400 for the fund at their booth in the CUB.  If you would like to contribute, you may send donations to the WSU Foundation.  The address is:

WSU Foundation
Town Centre Building, 3rd Floor
255 E. Main Street, Suite 301
PO Box 641925
Pullman, WA 99164-1925

Today we established a fund to aid relief efforts for those in Haiti.  Considering the scope of this grave tragedy, we want to encourage everyone to consider making a contribution to help.  Faculty, staff, students and others who would like to make contributions may send them to the WSU foundation with the designation, Cougar Haitian Relief Fund.  The foundation’s address is:

WSU Foundation
Town Centre Building, 3rd Floor
255 E. Main Street, Suite 301
PO Box 641925
Pullman, WA 99164-1925

Our deepest thoughts and condolences go out to those in Haiti and their families. More information on the fund can be found below.

http://www.wsutoday.wsu.edu/pages/publications.asp?Action=Detail&PublicationID=17648&TypeID=1